Family Ties
by Inu13
Summary: Just when Harry thinks nothing can surprise him, a well kept, little known secret of Volemort's is uncovered. Will the Order have gained a new, powerful ally? Or will Voldemort have found another devoted follower? Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone. So this is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fanfic. I hope you enjoy it, it won't be anywhere near as good as the original! I'm currently rewriting my first two chapters and then will be adding more later on. IMPORTANT: This story takes place after Book 5 and after Harry gets to the Weasley house.

A long, dark corridor lay ahead of him as he made his way quickly down the hall, not even bothering to keep his hurried footsteps quiet. He lifted his wand to shed some light on his path as he made a sharp turn to his left. His anticipation rose as he realized he was in the correct hall now. He had been given a mission, one that he did not fully understand, but one that he planned to complete for his master. He lifted his wand even higher as he came upon a door. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was yet another enchantment that he had to get past. He cautiously grabbed the handle and turned it to the left, only to discover that the door had been locked.

" _Alohomora._" He said with a flurry of his wand.

The lock sprung open and revealed a small, dark room. This was it. What he had been sent to retrieve should be in this very room. He entered the small, damp room and lifted his wand even higher, expecting something to catch his eye. There were no windows on any of the four walls. A revolting smell filled his nostrils as he took a step further into the small room. The only furnishings to be seen were a small blanket in the corner and a rusty toilet fitted against the wall. The place looked as if it hadn't been lived in for a while. The man searched the room for a little while longer, determined that he would find some type of disillusionment charm or other enchantment hiding what his master wanted to badly. When he could find nothing, he cursed lowly to himself before going out the door he had entered. He looked up and in the wand light read the engraving above the door: ' E.J.R. High Security'. Beneath that was a silvery 'A' that looked as though it had been carved there recently.

Taking one last look in the room, the man cursed once again before making his way out of the room, and through the corridors and enchantments that had blocked his entrance. Once he reached the door, he placed a disillusionment charm on himself, making sure he couldn't be seen. He exited the dark corridor and hurried to a nearby elevator, which took him up to the main floor. He rushed out of the open elevator doors before the cool female voice even had a chance to announce the name of the floor he had reached.

Without stopping, the man turned mid-step, disappearing from the empty lobby with a loud crack. Moments later, he reappeared in front of the gates to a large, white manor some fifty miles away from his departure point. With a wave of his wand, he walked directly through the solid gate. After he passed through, the metal hardened yet again. He walked up a staircase and ended up in a family room. The room was dimly lit by a low fire in the fireplace.

"Well? Where is it?" A cold, high voice asked from an armchair facing the fire.

"M-M-my Lord, I...I checked everywhere...Did every counter charms and spells I could think of...b-b-b-but..." He stammered, afraid of the wrath of his lord and master.

"But what?" The same cold voice asked, in an angry whisper, his hands clenching.

"The room was empty...my Lord." The man whispered, cringing as though he expected a blow.

"WHAT?" His lord shot out of his chair, his red, snake-like eyes flashing as he took quick angry strides towards his servant, who was now bowing down to him as he shook in fear.

"T-there was nothing, my Lord. I tried. I looked everywhere...all that was there was a blanket a-a-" The man stammered but was cut off.

"I don't care about the furniture in that room! You have failed me!" Voldemort yelled as he pulled out his wand.

" M-M-My Lord. I tried, but there was nothing. Someone must have taken her or-" The man tried to redeem himself.

"Oh, yes. Obviously." Voldemort spat as he looked at the quivering man before him with disgust, "I hope you have more to report to me, or this may very well be the last time you will ever even think about breathing."

The man searched him memory for anything, _anything_ that would spare him his life. Suddenly his eyes widened, "T-There was something engraved beneath the identification plate above the door, my Lord."

Voldemort stared down at his servant unimpressed as he waited for him to continue. Deciding that the man needed some encouragement, Voldemort raised his wand and said forcefully, "_Crucio_." The man at his feet writhed in pain, yelling out in an attempt to stop the pain. Almost as soon as it had started, the pain stopped.

" I-I-It was a letter 'A', my Lord. It looked as though it had been carved recently and looked silvery." The man said hurriedly, not wanting to anger his master any further with his hesitation.

Voldemort's eyes widened and his face contorted into a look of pure rage, "You let Dumbledore get to it before you did?"

"M-My Lord, I didn't-"

"You let that filth get his hands on it? Do you realize what this means? Do you realize what you have done?" Voldemort hissed, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace.

"My Lord, I-"

"ENOUGH! You have failed me. I asked you to do one thing!" Voldemort came to a stop in front of the trembling on the floor. He raised his wand and pointed it at the trembling wizard at his feet, " _Avada Kedavra!_"

A jet of green light shot out of the end of the wand and headed straight for the man at his feet. He instantly fell dead as Voldemort's anger filled roar ripped through the night air.

Harry awoke with a start and sat straight up in his bed, his scar searing. Voldemort was angry, no pissed. He had lost something, something important. Something that seemed obviously more important than the prophecy in which he had attempted to retrieve months earlier.

Harry frowned in thought. He was sure he had heard Voldemort say Dumbledore at taken whoever 'it' was. Harry groped about on the nightstand for his glasses and then pushed them onto his nose. He looked down at the shabby watch that rested next to where his glasses had previously been. It read 9:30.

"9:30? Surely Mrs Weasley would have woken us up by now?" Harry thought out loud to himself.

As if answering his question, Mrs. Weasley burst into the room, pulling out her wand to draw the curtains from the windows, flooding the room with sunshine.

"Up and at 'em boys! Oh, Harry. You're already awake. Good. Dumbledore's just sent word that he'll be here shortly. It's pretty important. Up, Ron. Now!" Mrs. Weasly pointed her wand at the twin bed across from Harry's and the blankets that had previously been covering Ron snapped off of him, revealing his mismatched pajamas, the pants not quite long enough to cover his legs completely.

Ron grumbled something that sounded like a foreign language before groggily looking up at his mother, "Mum, it can't be past ten. Give a man some rest, would you?"

"Man? What man?" Said another female voice as the figure of Hermione stepped into the room as well, smirking.

"Bloody hell! What are you doing in here?" Ron shot up as he hurried to cover himself with the pillow beneath his head, the blankets out of reach.

"Oh, honestly Ron. Get up. You heard your mum. Dumbledore's on his way! He should be here any minute." Hermione smiled brightly then went to leave the room, but quickly stuck her head in once more, "Morning Harry!"

"Morning." Harry mumbled as he got out of bed, only half listening to Ron as he grumbled something about having no privacy what-so-ever.

"I mean honestly, Harry." Ron continued to complain as the two made their way down the stairs to get some breakfast fifteen minutes late, "What if one of us had been changing?"

"Well I'd hope you wouldn't change with your mum in the room, or me for that matter." Harry joked but Ron simply ignored him and continued on his rant.

"She just charged right into the room like she was the bloody Queen of England. Not even a warning, or a knock on the door. I tell you, there's no privacy at all in this house." Ron finished his rant as they stepped into the kitchen to see a familiar face.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry greeted with a smile as his mentor looked back at him with a friendly smile, his blue eyes twinkling, yet somewhat troubled.

"Hello, Harry. Ron. I was just about to begin. Sit, sit." Dumbledore motioned for them to join the rest of the people at the table.

Harry sat down and looked around the table. Mr. and Mrs Weasley next to him followed by Ginny, Hermione, Fred, George, Lupin, Bill, Charlie, Dumbledore himself, then Ron. Leaning against the counter was Kingsley and standing near the door was Mad-Eye Moody, his enchanted eye looking back through his head, never once moving, as though he was watching something.

Dumbledore sighed and pushed his half-moon spectacles up higher onto his nose, then clasped his hands together on the table in front of him, "As you know, I have recently been off doing some...er...research on my own as of late...Oh, I don't know where to even begin."

"Start from the beginning, Professor." Hermione suggested timidly.

"But it is such a long story." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Fine by me, sir." Harry spoke up, and nods of agreement were seen around the table.

"Very well." Dumbledore sighed, "After, well, everything that had went on at the Ministry of Magic recently, I have been back and forth many times, helping repair some damage-" Dumbledore winked slightly at Harry, then continued "-and talking with the Minister, Cornelius at the time. While I spoke with the Fudge, I learned something very disturbing. He told me of a young girl, your age actually Harry, whom they were keeping prisoner in the ministry. I asked to see the girl, naturally, and they took me through a series of enchantments and corridors that I couldn't even begin to tell you about, seeing as there were so many. Finally, we came to a door. A door marked 'E.J.R. High Security'. Fudge opened the door and what I saw was, well it was shocking...and repulsing."

Dumbledore paused for a moment, sadness dimming his bright eyes.

"Please...continue, Professor." Ginny encouraged in a small voice, shy about speaking in front of the Headmaster.

Dumbledore looked up and smiled, "Yes, of course...There was a young girl inside the room. She looked strangely familiar, although I could not place her. The room was horrible, only a toilet and a blanket for the young woman. Then, four wizards pushed past us and started performing the Cruciatus Curse on her, right there in front of our eyes!"

Mrs. Weasley gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she looked at Dumbledore with wide eyes, "The Ministry? Using the Cruciatus Curse on the _girl_? You never told me this before, Albus."

"Molly, please." Arthur murmured, eager to hear the end of Dumbledore's account.

"My thoughts exactly, Molly." Dumbledore shook his head slowly, "I was outraged, threatened to spill the ministry's secret punishment of this prisoner right then and there...but Fudge only laughed. He said that if I came through with my threat, he would receive the support of over half the wizarding world for what he was doing. They were still torturing her too, asking all sorts of questions. Mostly 'where is he' although I am not sure how they would expect her to know that, after all…" Dumbledore shook his head, "Well anyways, on with my story. I asked Fudge how long this had been going on and it's been happening for years, years! Since she was 7, so I'd say it's been about nine years of nonstop torture, almost ten."

"But how could they do that to her?" Molly asked as her face contorted into a mixture of rage and disgust. Even Fred and George looked about ready to hurl.

"That's what I asked. I asked Fudge how they could torture a young, innocent girl and get away with it. He locked up his own son for using said curse, and yet he turned around and ordered it performed on the girl. When he gave me her name...I realized why...why he justified his form of torture." Dumbledore paused and looked at no one in particular, "Her name is Evelyn, Evelyn Jade Riddle."

Time seemed to stop as everyone processed the information. Charlie was the first to recover from it, "Riddle? So... so you mean to say that she's a...she's a relative of You-Know-Who?"

"Not just any relative." Dumbledore continued, "She's his daughter."

The reaction was instantaneous. Everyone, excluding Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, stood and shouted about the impossibilities, about how Fudge had gone looney. Kingsley and Moody simply look at each other, shaking their heads slowly as they winced at the loud yells. When Dumbledore made no attempt to tell the people around the table that they were correct, and that Fudge had gone nuts the yells changed into outraged yells, wondering how this bit of information had slipped unnoticed throughout the years.

"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded and everyone who was standing sat down at once, "I know this may come as a shock to you but it has indeed been proven. One look at her alone would tell you that she is, indeed, the daughter of Voldemort, although the identity of her mother remains unknown for now."

"Well I hope you left that slimey git where she belongs. Let her rot, she deserves it after what her father's done." George yelled, followed by a yell of agreement from all his brothers and a slight nod in agreement from his sister. Mrs. Weasley looked about ready to strangle him.

"Now, that's what I expected you to say. But first, let me plead her case." Dumbledore looked slightly irritated at George's rash decision, "Evelyn has never known her father. When she was born, my guess, which much of the evidence I have found supports, is that Voldemort killed her mother on the spot once she introduced him to his child. Voldemort then sent Evelyn to be raised by one of his servants as a way to cut himself off from her. My guess as to why he did not kill her immediately is to see if she had any extraordinary powers, being a child of his own. When she was one, however, Voldemort met his downfall. His servant, in a panic, decided to keep her hidden, locked away in the cellar. When she was seven however, her keeper couldn't stand the risk anymore. To be found with Voldemort's heir would be like openly admitting his allegiance to Voldemort. Instead, he turned her over to the Ministry anonymously. He dropped her off in the lobby and left before anyone could see him and she has been there ever since."

"Who cares? She's the daughter of the enemy! Who knows what she can do? And what she'll tell You-Know-Who when he finally does break her out." Fred said, crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to prove her point.

"Ahh, but that is where he might have a problem. You see, I, with the help of Alastor here and Hagrid, have already gotten her out of the cell. With Cornelius's approval, however forced it might have been." Dumbledore's announcement was met with furious yells of disagreement.

"QUIET, YOU LOT!" Mrs. Weasley yelled, glaring down at the children as she stood out of her chair, "Do you realize who it is you're yelling at right now?"

"Yea, I do. And to be honest Dumbledore, I think you've lost your marbles letting her free. What do you plan to do with her, eh? Send her to Hogwarts?" Fred laughed, but his laughter died as he saw Dumbledore made no move to deny it. "Oh, you can't be serious?"

"Oh I'm quite serious, actually. The girl is very bright, a little shy but charming, and will undoubtedly make a fine addition to our school." Dumbledore smiled.

"What? You're going to let her come into our _school_? When Voldemort could be anywhere?" Harry voiced his own opinion.

"Yes, yes I am. I thought you of all people should know what it's like to be prejudged because of something you had no control over. I thought you might understand her." Dumbledore frowned.

"Understand her? Oh, I understand her all right. Her Dad killed my bloody parents!" Harry shouted, his anger getting the better of him.

Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat and said quietly, "I have had quite enough of you lot. Before anyone says anything else I think I should mention something. She'll be staying with us for the remainder of the summer."

Mrs. Weasley's announcement was answered with even more disagreement than ever before. Mr. Weasley stood up, red in the face.

"ENOUGH!" He yelled, quieting all the children immediately, "Your mother, Albus, and I have all agreed that this is the best move. Evelyn needs to interact with witches and wizards who are the same age as her, and also to realize that not everyone is aimed at harming her. She has grown up an outcast her entire life. She will not be unwelcome her as well. You will be kind to her and respect the wishes of your mother and I. And Fred, George, will we will be alliwng you to go and stay at your joke shop, you are expected here for dinner. You belong with your family during times like these."

Everyone stared open-mouthed at Mr. Weasley, whom they had only heard raise his voice a handful of times. He looked around and nodded, then cleared his throat and sat back down, squeezing his wife's hand to show his support.

Dumbledore smiled, "Well, shall we meet her then?"

No one answered, but Dumbledore just stood anyways and called out the door to Hagrid. Moody and Kingsley exited the house, looking around for any signs of trouble before signaling to Hagrid. Everyone looked anxiously to the doorway to see Hagrid bounding to the door with a person in a cloak in his arms. Harry glanced at Moody and saw that his magical eye followed Hagrid's every move. As he reached the doorway and set the person down, a soft 'Thank you' drifted to their ears. Hagrid blushed and patted the girl's head, "S'no problem."

"Evelyn?" Dumbledore held out a hand, beckoning the cloaked girl forward.

Everyone watched her like a hawk as she timidly stepped into the room, taking off the hood of her cloak and shyly looking around the room, not meeting eyes with anyone. Her long black hair reached mid-back in soft, shiny waves and her skin was pale, almost sickly. She was very skinny, probably due to lack of food throughout her lifetime, and barely reached 5 foot 4. Her brown eyes seemed dull, almost lifeless. Harry was almost expecting to see the all-too-familiar red eyes peering down at him, but was surprised at her appearance. She was attractive, despite her sickly pale skin and being too thin. Harry was shocked at how similar she looked to the Tom Riddle he had seen in the Chamber Secrets. Her facial structures were similar, only softer than the sharp features of the young Tom Riddle. Harry knew now why there was no doubt about the identity of her father.

Mrs. Weasley was the first to stand and rush forward. She opened her arms and went to give Evelyn a hug, but Evelyn flinched and hid behind Dumbledore, peeking out from around his shoulder like a small, frightened child. Mrs. Weasley drew back immediately, placing a hand softly against her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. Dumbledore looked down at Evelyn and smiled, "Don't worry, Evie, She won't harm you. You're staying here for the rest of the summer before you head to school."

Evelyn gulped and stepped out from behind Dumbledore, looking around nervously. She let a small smile find its way to her face as she looked at Mrs. Weasley, before it disappeared. Mrs. Weasley, obviously, noticed it however, because she immediately rushed forward and embraced Evelyn like she was an old friend.

George looked on in disgust at his mother's display of affection towards a stranger, the enemy's _daughter_ no less. He scoffed and pushed his chair back noisily before storming from the room. He was soon followed by Fred, but the others dared not invoke the wrath of either Weasley parent so they stayed put.

Dumbledore stood and waved his wand. Two suitcases appeared out of thin air with a 'pop' and landed softly on the floor. With a smile and a pat on Evelyn's head, he left and joined Moony and Kingsley in the yard, Hagrid following behind as he waved at Evelyn, who waved back shyly. Mrs. Weasley picked up the suitcases and smiled, "Come along, dear. We have a room all set up for you. You can have it all to yourself, until you get used to everyone. Now, follow me dear."

Mrs. Weasley left the room, Evelyn following like a silent, scared puppy. The minute she left, those remaining shared a look. Staying silent they all stayed sitting around the table, no one talking, only thinking of the event which had just happened, and trying to predict what would come.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone. Kind of a short chapter but hey, it's progress lol hope you enjoy!

Harry laughed as Ron struggled in vain to calm Hermione down after once again insulting her 'muggle ways'. He, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were all relaxing outside in the beautiful summer day.

"Honestly, Ron. After you turn seventeen I'm almost positive you would be completely helpless if you weren't able to whip out your wand for every little thing." Hermione frowned as she shook her head, deciding to let it go yet again.

"Oh, Please, Hermione. I don't think it'd be that hard to brush my teeth without magic." Ron sighed, glad that he had been able to avoid the wrath of Hermione once again.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't." Ginny muttered under her breath as she lay in the grass next to Hermione.

Harry laughed as Ron glared at his oblivious younger sister. He spared a glance at Ginny, looking away quickly when he met her eyes, a light blush staining his cheeks as well as hers which thankfully went unnoticed by Ron. Harry looked to Hermione, who shot him a knowing glance, smirking as she leaned her head back, soaking up the sun. Harry let out a breath and thought of the day's events. Ever since breakfast they had seen neither hide nor hair of Evelyn, who had remained in her room unpacking throughout the morning, lunch, and so far most of the afternoon. Mrs. Weasley, of course, was helping her every step of the way, catering to her every need. It got on Harry's nerves, as much as he wished it wouldn't, because as much as he knew he shouldn't judge her, he couldn't get it out of his mind that she was the daughter of the monster who killed his parents.

Harry's attention was drawn back to his surroundings when he heard Mrs. Weasley's shrill yell, "Fred Weasley you get rid of that attitude mister or so help me!"

A door slammed, cutting off her rant as Fred stomped towards the four, plopping himself down on the ground next to Harry, glaring off into the distance. The twins had apparated to their shop in Diagon Alley shortly after breakfast, and the two had just returned for their mandatory dinner with the rest of the family.

"You alright, Fred?" Ron asked nervously.

"Oh I'm just peachy, Ron. Best I've felt in years." Fred said sarcastically then shook his head, "I honestly don't understand the woman. She's completely mental! How can she just trust _her_ without even thinking about if she's on our side or not? And how can Dumbledore trust her? He must have lost his marbles completely to think we would all welcome her with open arms. Mum's completely mental."

"Fred, you haven't even spoken to…Evelyn." Hermione scolded, not looking at Fred.

"Oh and how much have you talked to her, Hermione? I don't see you sitting in her room with her chatting it up? Why does she even have her own room, huh? I had to share with George my entire life and I was here first!" Fred yelled.

"In the house?" Ginny asked.

"And on the planet!" Fred lay on the ground, covering his eyes with his forearm, "I mean really, why does she have to stay here of all places."

No one spoke, letting Fred calm down. Harry sighed and looked up to the house, scanning over the place he had been calling a second home since his second year at Hogwarts. As his eyes passed over the many windows on the side of the house in his view, he did a double take as a window in the middle of the house opened. Harry watched as Evelyn cautiously stretched her pale face out the window, closing her eyes and tilting her face towards the sun, a small smile gracing her face.

Evelyn lowered her face, eyes meeting with Harry. Her smile vanished as she stared back, caught off guard. With a small, almost unnoticeable smile Evelyn ducked back into the house shyly. Harry frowned as he turned back to the conversation that had started up again among the teens around him, which had now turned to Quidditch. Harry sighed, leaning back on his elbows as he joined into the conversation yet again.

A couple hours later, the six teens, George had joined them about a half hour after Fred had, made their way into the house for dinner. They sat down at the table, joined by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, and Charlie. The group passed around the meal, while Mrs. Weasley constantly looked up at the doorway, then back to the table a little disappointed.

Mrs. Weasley again chanced a glance at the doorway, this time smiling as she stood, "Evie, there you are. Come in, come in. Take a seat next to George and make yourself a plate."

Everyone's heads turned towards the doorway to see Evelyn look around the room shyly, her eyes landing on the empty chair near whom she assumed was George. Her eyes widened slightly, causing Harry to glance to where she was looking.

George's eyes narrowed, his face turning beet red. He glared at Evelyn as his mother cleared her throat, trying to get his attention. George glanced at his mother, whose face matched his own only more threatening. He frowned and stood, "I'm finished. I'll be headed back to the shop now. See you later everyone."

George pushed back his chair roughly, then stomped out of the kitchen, brushing into Evelyn who ducked out of his way almost fearfully.

"Oh don't let him bother you, Evelyn. You can…sit next to me." Hermione broke the silence, forcing a small smile on her face, receiving a proud smile from Mrs. Weasley.

Evelyn shook her head, "I'm sorry. I….I didn't mean to make him leave. I'll just go back to my room."

"Oh no, no, no, Sit, sit. You must be starving, dear." Mrs. Weasley started to stand.

"No, I'm fine. I just must have missed the bathroom. Thank you." Evelyn said timidly, before ducking out of the room.

Harry frowned, turning back to his meal as the dinner continued on silently. Harry chanced a glance at Mrs. Weasley's face, which had fallen as she pushed the food around on her plate, frowning in deep thought.

Harry yawned as he made his was down the familiar staircase, headed towards the kitchen later that night. Rubbing his eye, he glanced at a clock as he passed by, reading that it was 2 in the morning. Frowning, Harry stepped into the kitchen, headed towards the sink. As he passed the light switch he flipped it on and realized that he was not alone.

"Er, hi." Harry stammered as he stopped walking.

"Hi." Evelyn said quietly, pausing as she ate a bowl of cereal, "I'm sorry. I just got a little hungry."

Harry nodded, continuing to the sink and getting a glass out of one of the cabinets. Filling it with water, he took a sip then turned around and leaned back against the sink, "So, er, how are you?"

Evelyn looked surprised for a moment then recovered a couple seconds later, "Fine, thanks. How…how are you?"

"Fine." Harry answered, looking out the window to his side, not knowing exactly what to say.

Evelyn stood slowly, cautiously walking towards the sink and Harry. She lifted the bowl, shrugging her shoulders, and then placed it next to the sink at Harry's side, "Well, goodnight,"

Harry nodded as Evelyn left the kitchen. Turning around, he leaned his elbows against the counter and looked out the window. Taking a final sip of his water, Harry set his cup next to Evelyn's empty bowl. As he turned, something caught his eye in the garden. Glancing back out the window, Harry tried to make out the many dark shapes in the yard. After a few minutes of looking, he decided it was just a trick of the light, or maybe the wind. Shaking his head, Harry made his way back to his room.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone. So I know these past chapters have been kinda boring but its just setting up the rest of the story. Hope you enjoy!

Harry yawned and stretched his back, rubbing his eyes to clear them after waking up. Running his hand through his hair, Harry reached with his other hand to grab his glasses off the nightstand next to his bed, his usual morning routine. Now that he could see clearly he glanced across the room at Ron, who was still sleeping soundly, snoring lightly as he drooled on his pillow. Harry shook his head, amazed that no matter how tall his best friend got, he could still manage to look like a child when sleeping.

Harry quickly changed his clothes while Ron was still asleep, and then made his way down the three flights of stairs to the kitchen, surprised to see both Lupin and Dumbledore sitting with cups of tea as they spoke with Mrs. Weasley.

"Remus!" Harry exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the man who had now stood.

"How are you Harry?" Remus clapped him on the back after letting go then looked him over, both eyes reflecting a hint of sadness at the reminder each served to the other of the recent loss of Sirius.

Harry smiled glad to see a familiar face despite the reminder, "Good. Good. I didn't expect to see you so soon again Dumbledore. Is everything alright?"

"Oh just fine Harry. I was simply checking on Evelyn and completing our lessons together. I have other…business to attend to and Remus here has agreed to continue teaching her for the remainder of the summer until he returns to his other task." Dumbledore smiled, and at the mention of Evelyn's Harry felt his stomach drop. He had almost forgotten the girl, but of course reality had to come crashing down on him.

"Lessons, sir?" Harry questioned in a voice which did little to hide his confusion.

"Well if she is to join you at school Harry, she must get a little caught up. She is very bright and from what I can see so far extremely powerful. If not for the fact that she has to take her O., I would expect her to be at the same level as you. However, rules are rules. And she must take those exams. While in the presence of either myself, or Remus, the underage magic rule has been temporarily lifted so she can learn." Dumbledore smiled, watching Harry for his reaction as though he dreaded it.

"So you were serious then? About her coming to Hogwarts with the rest of us?"

"Oh quite serious." Dumbledore used a voice which Harry recognized. It was pleasant, but at the same time made whoever he was talking to realize that the subject being discussed was not under negotiation, "Remus has spent the morning with her and agrees that she is quite eager to learn. She's in the sitting room as we speak, studying away. We've had about two months of lessons and already she has surpassed the level of a fifth year on mere knowledge of spells. She's reading books faster than I can supply them. Remus here has agreed to help her practice actually using the spells. Now I had better be off. Thank you for the tea, Molly. See you at start of term Harry. Expect a note with the date and time of our first meeting."

With a swish of his cloak, Dumbledore had nodded his head and exited the small kitchen before Harry could make any objection. Harry waited a second and then threw himself into a kitchen chair. Sighing, he helped himself to some breakfast, cutting into his eggs almost violently.

Remus chuckled and took his seat next to Harry once more, "You ought to give her a chance Harry. If Dumbledore trusts her, who are we not to?"

"Because no one knows her, not even Dumbledore. How does he know she isn't just as eager to go reunite with Voldemort as she is to study?" Harry grumbled, ignoring the dark look Mrs. Weasley cast his way.

"That's highly unlikely Harry, and you know it. She's never met him once in her life and deserves a chance. Molly, I hope you don't mind if we use the garden. The gnomes will serve as pretty good moving targets and we will remove them once finished." Remus dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, then stood and added his cup to the stack of dirty dished, currently being washed by magic.

"Not at all. If you need any help just let me know. I'm sure the children wouldn't mind coming out and helping." Moll smiled, heading upstairs to wake the rest of them.

Remus smiled, knowing full well that none of the Weasley children or friends would be feeling very helpful today. With a nod towards Harry, he ducked into the sitting room, calling Evelyn to the garden.

An hour later, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all gathered in Percy's old bedroom, which overlooked the garden, not being able to help themselves from watching the lesson going on outside.

So far, Evelyn had successfully practiced the Impediment Jinx and the Engorgement Charm along with dozens of others on the gnomes, removing them from the garden using the Locomotor charm. Then Lupin had switched tactics to defensive.

"Ok now Evelyn. I am going to be sending minor jinxes at you, nothing serious. I want you to protect yourself. Dumbledore has told me that he spent much of his time with you going over ways to defend yourself. Now it's time to put that knowledge into use. If any of the spells happen to reach you I will remove them immediately, you understand?" Lupin asked the young girl, making sure she was aware he was not intending to hurt her.

Evelyn gulped, nodding her head.

"Good. Are you ready?" Lupin asked and she nodded. He shook his head however, "Wand at the ready, Evelyn. Always have you're wand ready when you feel you might be attacked."

Evelyn hurriedly brought her wand up, taking a wide stance and preparing to defend herself. Lupin cast a spell, the Leg Locking curse if she remembered correctly which she was sure she did, and Evelyn hurriedly put up a Shield charm, yelling out, "_Protego!_"

Remus sent a few more her way, decreasing the time between each spell but continuing to verbally call them out.

"Good, good." Remus shot an unexpected nonverbal spell. Immediately, Evelyn's legs seemed to turn to jelly, causing her to fall to the ground. Remus immediately lifted the jinx, quickly walking to her side and helping her up, "That was quite good for your first practical use of the spells."

"Thanks, Professor." Evelyn dusted herself off, glancing out of the corner of her eye to the bedroom window on the second floor where she could see the four other teenage occupants of the house watching her progress.

Remus seemed to notice this small glance and frowned, "Don't worry about them. They'll come around. Now, get ready for the next one. This time, I'll be using a mix of verbal and nonverbal spells. It's important that you master nonverbal spells. Not only is it a great advantage, but Dumbledore insists." Remus smiled, walking back a few paces until they were a decent distance apart.

For the next week Harry spent his days playing Quidditch in the orchard with Ron and the others, or watching the progress of Evelyn. As much as Harry hated to admit to himself, she was talented. She learned quickly, and in a matter of months had managed to memorize and master spells which had taken him entire school years to accomplish. She had already started to use defensive nonverbal spells and Remus had only managed to hit her with no more than two spells each lesson. Her shield charm, however, was one of the strongest he had seen, aside from Dumbledore's, and if she managed to get it up in time, no spell Remus threw at him could break through it. Harry was impressed. However, he couldn't help the nagging thought in the back of his mind that if she was to join Voldemort, things would go from disastrous to catastrophic.

Exactly a week from the day Remus had started lessons with Evelyn, they found themselves once again in the garden preparing to practice, and once again with an audience. The audience however, was sitting in the yard this time, watching the lesson without trying to hide it as they did before.

"Alright, Evelyn. We are going to try something a little different this time. I want you to attack me as well as defend yourself. It will be like a mock duel. Again, I will not use any seriously damaging curses and neither should you. Just try to disarm me and stop me from attacking you. Wand at the ready."

Within a matter of seconds, Remus had thrown the first curse, blocked as expected by Evelyn. The two moved faster than lightening, Evelyn being able to block every curse and jinx thrown at her. With almost expert precision, she dodged the few that had managed to get past her defenses.

"Offensive, Evelyn. Try to incapacitate me as well as defend yourself!" Remus called, not stopping the onslaught of spells he sent her way.

No sooner had he spoken, Remus' wand slipped out of his grip, stopping his attack on the girl. Evelyn also stopped, breathing heavily but looking proud of herself as well.

"Very good!" Remus called, trying to pick up his wand but not able to "Jelly-Fingers Curse I presume, and nonverbal as well. Dumbledore would be proud."

Harry felt sick to his stomach at the praise. How could Lupin praise the girl in front of him when every time he looked at her, all he saw was a young Voldemort? Hadn't the teachers at Hogwarts thought Voldemort would amount to great things? He was powerful, bright, and eager to learn. So was Evelyn. How could no one else besides teenagers see the similarities between the two? Harry scowled and went back to his game of Exploding Snap with Ron.

Evelyn smiled, looking to the teens near her. While Ginny looked impressed and Hermione had a small trace of a smile on her face, Evelyn was disheartened to see that Harry, the one person who Dumbledore had been almost sure would be willing to befriend her, was frowning. The smile now gone from her face, she turned back to Lupin, removed the Jelly Finger Curse and took her dueling position once more. When Lupin took his as well, Evelyn defended herself absentmindedly, allowing Remus to hit her with three jinxes in a row.

"Evelyn. Clear your mind. You cannot be distracted in an actual duel. If this were against someone aiming to hurt you, they would have by now. What's wrong?" Remus asked, lowering his wand.

Evelyn smiled, shrugging off her disappointment in herself. If she couldn't fit in with teens she had been told would befriend her, how was she going to manage at school? However, she couldn't help but reason that her problem fitting in shouldn't affect her lessons, "Nothing, sir."

Evelyn waited for Remus to attack, and after a second of looking thoughtful, Remus obliged, recognizing the need of someone to distract themselves. No sooner had they started, Evelyn's eyes went wide, and her concentration again broken as his Impediment jinx hit her, causing her to fall backward.

"Evelyn-"Remus started in on his 'must-stay-focused' lecture but stopped when he suddenly felt cold. The afternoon, which had been sunny only seconds before, had now turned gloomy, the sun blocked by thick cloud cover. Remus looked again at Evelyn's face and was surprised at the absolute terror written across her face as she stared past Remus.

Looking over his shoulder, Remus saw the current Minister for Magic walking purposefully towards the Burrow, two dementors following along with him. Lupin was surprised that the dementor's were following so obediently, but had no chance to think more on the matter for no sooner had the two arrived, Dumbledore appeared to the side of them at the edge of the Burrow's protective enchantments as well. Reaching Remus and Evelyn before Scrimgeour and the dementors, Dumbledore stood protectively in front of Evelyn, Remus behind him as he helped Evelyn to her feet.

Mr. Weasley came hurrying out too, having noticed the approaching figures. Standing next to Evelyn as well, she ushered the other teens towards her, throwing a protective and supportive arm around Evelyn's shoulders.

"What is the meaning of this, Minister?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, staring apprehensively at the two dementors, "How dare you bring those…those creatures to my home."

"I'm here on official Ministry business." Scrimgeour eyed Evelyn with disgust, "The girl is coming back with us. We have a few questions that need answering."

"I have already told you, Scrimgeour, Cornelius released Evelyn into my custody before the end of his term. I have taken responsibility for her and for her actions. I have promised her that she would not be persecuted against for her family ties. It is you're duty to protect her as well. And instead of attempting to protect her from Voldemort you bring his servants here. I wasn't aware any dementors were still under Ministry control." Dumbledore eyed the two dementors suspiciously.

"And I have told you, Dumbledore. I will not sit by and allow He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to continue wreaking havoc on our community. The girl comes with me."

"As far as I, and Wizarding law, are concerned Evelyn is a free young witch who has done nothing illegal to permit her being put away yet again. I have here the permit for her to perform underage magic under my or Remus Lupin's supervision. You have no business with her." Dumbledore's voice rang with authority, and Scrimgeour scowled, seeing no way to argue the point further. Scrimeour's eyes strayed to Harry and looked thoughtful, "Nor with anyone else. I am sure Molly here does not wish to be in the presence of your guards any longer, Minister."

Mrs. Weasley nodded her head, leaning to the side as she supported Evelyn's full weight. Harry couldn't help but pity the girl. She had obviously run into dementors before and judging by her reaction she did not wish to have another one.

Scrimgeour sent a murderous glance at the group gathered in front of him, pointing his long skinny finger at Dumbledore, "I'm not through with this Dumbledore. Fudge had no authority to release her."

"Fudge had no authority to imprison her." Dumbledore said simply, his voice stern.

With a final look at the group, Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes at Evelyn, "I'm not through with you. I'll have you back in Ministry custody soon and when I do you're going to answer a few questions for me. Whether you need persuading or not will depend on how well you cooperate."

With that the Minister spun around, briskly walking back the way he came. The dementors followed at a slower pace, seeming to hang back a little in hopes that they would have someone to take back with them. Once the Minister was out of sight, Dumbledore waved his wand, creating a bar of chocolate in his hand. He turned around to Evelyn and broke a piece off, handing it to her then offering the rest to everyone else.

"I think that's enough for your lessons today, Evelyn. Go on inside and have a rest." Dumbledore smiled kindly, patting her on the shoulder.

Evelyn stood straight, the chocolate working wonders. She smiled at Mrs. Weasley and then waved towards the others before slowly making her way into the Burrow.

Dumbledore watched her leave, worry making itself present on his face. With a sigh, Dumbledore turned back to the group of teens and two adults around him. He looked troubled, and Harry was surprised to still feel some pity for the young girl who had went into the house only seconds before. No one deserved to be talked to like that, to be threatened with curses, which ones Harry could only imagine. It wasn't right.

"What was that all about, Dumbledore? Do we have to worry about You-Know-Who finding her here?" Mrs. Weasley frowned looking at where the Minister and his guards had disappeared at as thought waiting for them to come back any minute.

"I don't believe so, Molly. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, I will cast a few more protection charms around it on my way out. It seems as though Scrimgeour is going to challenge me on all of my decisions I guess." Dumbledore looked to Harry and smiled, "On a happier note, this next term is going to be starting before you all know it. I am sending along some, extra protection for tomorrow. Molly, I'll be sending along some money for Evelyn as well. I am sorry to have intruded on your afternoon. The second I heard Scrimgeour was headed here I came as soon as I could."

"Oh don't apologize, Albus. It's perfectly alright." Mrs. Weasley wrung her hands, "Are you sure we don't have anything to worry about?"

"I don't imagine any problems. Evelyn will be off to Hogwarts in no time at all. By next summer the Ministry will have seen that she is no threat, nor does she know Voldemort's location, and then they should have no more quarrels left with the situation." Dumbledore smiled tiredly, "If you would rather I find another place for her to stay, however, that can be arranged."

"No, no. Don't be silly." Mrs. Weasley shook her head, "She is welcome here as long as she likes. I just want to make sure she will be as safe as possible. I'll take her and the others tomorrow for her books, show her around Diagon Alley. Maybe that will brighten her spirits a bit."

Harry frowned, torn between feeling angry with Mrs. Weasley for not finding Evelyn another place to stay when she had the chance, and feeling proud that she was willing to go to seemingly any ends in order to keep Evelyn feeling safe. He had to hand it to her; Mrs. Weasley was much better at accepting Evelyn than Harry was. From what he could see, Evelyn seemed like a shy, but powerful student. Then again, that was how Peter Pettigrew had come across to people, and look how he turned out. With a sigh, Harry followed the rest into the kitchen, waiting for the twins and Mr. Weasley to arrive for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

"_Expecto Patronum_." Harry frowned, looking out a window as he passed by on the stair case, searching for the source of the voice. He looked out at the yard and saw Evelyn frowning, staring at her wand as if she was waiting for something to happen.

"_Expecto Patronum_!" She said more forcefully, looking angrily at her wand as though it was the piece of wood's fault that she could not conjure what she was hoping to. Harry shook his head and continued down the stairs, arriving in the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley turned around as she heard his foot hit the floor, smiling, "All ready then, Harry? Good. The others are sitting outside. Go on, I'll be out there as soon as I finish in here. Arthur said the cars should be here any minute."

Harry nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he made his way through the kitchen and into the yard. Ron was sitting with his back against the house, fighting to stay awake. Ginny was sitting next to him, her eyes closed and her head resting on Hermione's shoulder on her other side, who was wide awake and watching Evelyn's progress with interest.

"You've got to think of something happier. It will only work if the memory is strong." Mr. Weasley offered, trying to seem encouraging.

"I'm trying. Really, I am. I just…" Evelyn stopped talking, looking down at her feet. She knew what her problem was. The only happy memory she had was of the day Dumbledore had taken her away from that cell, and even that memory wasn't extremely happy. Mostly just confusing. Sure, he had promised she would be safe with him and that she would be going to a school with others her age. She could make friends. Then he had led her to the lobby where they met Hagrid, who is a little intimidating at first glance, and Moody who eyed her suspiciously with that big fake eye of his the entire way out of the place. Even after she realized that Dumbledore really didn't mean her any harm, she still wasn't entirely happy. After all, who could be happy when they learn that the reason they had been locked in a cellar half of her life then locked in a cell and tortured for the other half was because her father, a man she had never met, was a deranged murderer whose life's ambition was to rule the world no matter how many people he had to kill along the way. Not to mention the fact that her own father had murdered her mother just because she had dared to have his child (like it was through no fault of his own) and had only allowed Evelyn to live to see if she would be talented and powerful enough to live up to her name.

Mr. Weasley seemed to sense where her thoughts were straying and he smiled sympathetically, placing a hand on her shoulder, "No need to worry, dear. That's a complicated bit of magic there. There are plenty of fully trained wizards who can't manage to conjure a true, corporeal patronus. Maybe after a bit of schooling you'll be able to manage it. I doubt Lupin expected you to master it by your next lesson tonight."

Evelyn tried to muster a small smile, but it was feeble and they both knew it. Mr. Weasley glanced over her shoulder and smiled, "Well, looks like our ride is here. Molly! The car is here! Up and at 'em, kids."

Harry made his way to the car, being hurried along by the Weasley parents. Harry glanced at Evelyn and saw her looking at the car strangely, obviously doing the math in her head and realizing that seven people wouldn't stand a chance of fitting into the back of the car. He couldn't help but smile as he remembered he too had those exact same thoughts.

"Ginny, dear. Come on." Mrs. Weasley motioned Ginny, who was lagging behind the group, to hurry up as the rest of the group piled into the car.

"But Mum. I think that's the owl with the Daily Prophet. Can we wait so I can have something to read for the ride there?" Ginny pointed in the distance towards a small spot on the horizon.

"No, dear. I want to get to Diagon Alley and back as early and as soon as possible. Come on, come on." Mrs. Weasley pulled her forward, forcing her into the car and then shut the door behind hers after she climbed in as well, "There can't be anything in there that's too interesting."

The ride to the Leaky Cauldron went by surprisingly quickly. The teens in the car dozed lightly, tired at the still early hour. All except Evelyn, who by now had been up for an hour practicing the spell Remus had told her the previous night before she had went to sleep. She stared out the car windows at everything they had passed, wondering when they would reach the place called Diagon Alley. Before long they pulled up in front of a small, out of the way pub. The Leaky Cauldron. Standing on the curb and beaming at the group was none other than Hagrid. Evelyn couldn't help but smile at the intimidating, yet kind man she had shared many meals and days with at Hogwarts during her stay there at the beginning of the summer.

" 'Lo, you lot. Dumbledore sent me as yer extra protection. Figured I'd be enough, no need for a bunch of Aurors." Hagrid said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly. "Evie, how are yeh?"

"Hello Hagrid." Evelyn smiled, tilting her head back to look up at him.

Harry frowned at the display of friendship between the two. Even Hagrid wasn't suspicious about her. Why was it that no adult seemed to share the teenagers' suspicions about the girl? Sure she seemed like a quiet, innocent person but at the same time he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right with her. Sighing, Harry made his way into the bar, and then continued into Diagon Alley.

Evelyn couldn't help but be amazed at the sight before her. Though many shops were boarded up and people were hurrying around in small groups, Evelyn immediately fell in love with the place. She could only imagine what this place would be like if everyone wasn't constantly watching their own back, waiting for and expecting the worst. White hot anger bubbled up in her chest as she glanced at the anxious faces hurrying past, no one making eye contact with anyone outside their own shopping groups. How could anyone strike this much fear in people and still sleep at night? Consumed by her own thoughts, Evelyn didn't notice the frustrated look Ginny shot towards Ron and the other two as she was told she would be shopping with Evelyn and her parents while the other three would go with Hagrid to buy new robes.

Evelyn trailed after Mrs. Weasley as they bought all the school supplies for the next year at Hogwarts. At first she was a little worried. After all she had no money, but Hagrid took care of that by handing Mrs. Weasley a pouch of money to cover for her supplies from a fund set up at Hogwarts for students who could not afford to purchase their own. Before she knew it she was standing in front of Fred and George's joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Inside, the place was packed. The group was met by George and as usual, Evelyn received nothing but a scowl in greeting. Before long, Mrs. Weasley hurried off searching for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, leaving Evelyn alone with George, seeing as how Ginny and Mr. Weasley had went off the look at the Muggle Magic section.

"So…this stuff is really great. Did you invent them all yourselves?" Evelyn asked bravely, attempting to start some form of a conversation with him.

George raised his eyebrows, "Well, of course. Or else we couldn't really claim them as a Weasley product now could we?"

"Oh, yes of course. Well, they must have taken you a while. It's incredible really, you two must be-" Evelyn continued, determined to try and be more sociable as Remus had suggested at the end of one of their lessons.

"Look, it's been really great talking with you, just smashing, but I have a business to run." George said sarcastically, not looking at the girl next to him, "Bye."

Evelyn watched him go and was surprised to feel her stomach clenching uncomfortably, her eyes tearing up on their own accord. Quickly wiping at her eyes she turned and made her way out of the shop. As soon as she had exited it she moved out of the way of the entrance accidently bumping into another shopper. She apologized softly and moved to rest against the front window of the shop, somewhere where she could be seen by Mrs. Weasley easily if she came looking. She did not notice however, that the woman she had bumped into was now whispering to a woman next to her, pointing to Evelyn and frowning.

Evelyn, too caught up in her own thoughts, did not realize that a large crowd of people was now openly staring at her, eyes wide and fearful, some looking angry. As soon as she had her mind cleared Evelyn pushed off the window, intending to head back into the store. She stopped though, noticing now the large group that had closed in between her and the window as well now.

"It's her, it is. Recognize her. Oi, are you Evelyn Riddle?" One shabby looking wizard called out, staring at her accusingly.

"Er, um yes. Yes I am." Evelyn answered timidly, moving to head back into the shop. She found her way blocked though, "Um, excuse me."

No one moved though and suddenly Evelyn realized just how alone she was, Hagrid on the other side of the door engaged in a conversation with someone she could not see from here. Angry shouts had been made in response to her answer and the circle around her was slowly becoming smaller and smaller.

"Who the bloody hell do you think you are?" A woman called out from somewhere in the crowd, inciting more angry yells. By now, Hagrid had noticed the mob, and was looking around for what might be causing it.

Evelyn turned around, looking for an exit, but as she did someone was pushed forward into her, causing her to stumble back into a wizard behind her. The man yelled "Oi." and then pushed her back. Before she knew what was happening, the mob had closed in on her on all sides, yelling angrily as they pushed into her, some even pulling her hair and attempting to hit her. Evelyn felt a palm connect with her face, and a sharp pain made her realize that the persons nail had left a gash. Shapes blurred around her and the voices all swam together as she struggled to cover her head. Realizing that there was no way out of the crowd, Evelyn yelled for Hagrid who was by now trying to make his way through the thick crowd to her. She felt someone jab at her again with their fist, connecting it with her neck. Evelyn gasped in pain, her breathing now in hurried, labored breaths. Without warning, Evelyn felt herself being pulled roughly to the side, an arm wrapping itself around her waist and steering her in a different direction.

Preparing to fight back, Evelyn was shocked as she looked up and into the eyes of none other than George Weasley. He tightened his hold on her, and Evelyn ducked her face into his shoulder as she covered the back of her head and neck with her hands once again. George bodily shoved anyone in his path out of his way as he made his way back to his store, locking the door behind him and quickly pulling Evelyn through the crowd of confused shoppers inside.

"Get her out of here, George!" Mr. Weasley called, rushing towards the front door where Hagrid was now blocking the entrance, yelling at the people trying to get in.

Without a second thought, George turned on the spot.

Remus sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, looking down at the Daily Prophet on the table in front of him. On the cover was an enlarged picture of Evelyn, her hair matted and falling in her face, reaching almost to her hips. Her eyes were wide and scared, making her look slightly insane. Along the top of the picture, the title of the article read 'You-Know-Who's Heir: Alive And Well Under Dumbledore's Care. Soon To Be Attending Hogwarts'.

"If we had just waited for the Prophet this whole fiasco could have been avoided." Mrs. Weasley looked close to tears, shaking her head back and forth as she leaned back in her seat to look out the window, "How did the Prophet even find out? Dumbledore was supposed to keep it quiet, as was everyone else who knows."

"Scrimgeour." Remus said simply, having been informed by Dumbledore earlier that his suspicions had been confirmed, "He did it to get back at Dumbledore for finding all the loopholes in his reasoning for taking Evie back into custody."

Just then, George entered the room and fell into the seat next to his mother. He let out a breath and looked around.

"Well? How is she?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking back out the window at Evelyn's lone figure sitting in the yard as she stared out of the field in front of her.

George let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, "I…I don't know. She didn't say anything. She looked so scared though, when I dragged her out of the crowd. Her eyes," George trailed off, staring blankly at the table, "I don't know. She didn't even know what was going on. I've never seen someone look that scared before. She wouldn't talk to me though, and I don't blame her. I'll admit I haven't been the most welcoming person. It's hard, but I would never stoop down to that level. Ganging up on a defenseless girl, fifty to one? It's not right."

The other two sitting at the table nodded their heads in agreement, each leaving the other to their own thoughts. After a couple minutes, Remus stood up, "I think I'll go see if she'll talk to me. Excuse me."

Remus stepped into the cool summer air and walked slowly towards where Evelyn sat facing the west. She had been there for hours, first Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had tried to comfort her, then George had even tried, to everyone's surprise. She refused to speak, barely allowing Molly to heal the gash left on her face from someone in the crown.

Remus sat on the grass next to her, holding his wand in his right hand as he stared out at the sky as well. The sun was just starting to set, sending bright orange and red colors streaking across the sky and taking with it the little remaining warmth. Discreetly looking to his right, he observed Evelyn's face, noticing the almost dead look in her blankly staring eyes. Remus simply sat next to her, deciding to let her talk when she was ready and to just be there for her as silent support while she worked through things on her own.

"You know, we're a lot alike, you and I." Evelyn said in a soft, defeated tone of voice, still not looking at Lupin after almost fifteen minutes of him sitting by her side, "In almost all of the books I've read, werewolves are talked about like equal citizens. Your kind is shown as dangers to society, unstable monsters that would turn against anyone, even their best friend, in the blink of an eye. That article in the prophet says that I'm 'an unbalanced danger to wizarding kind.' According to them I'm an extremely powerful dark witch, just waiting to join up with You-Know-Who as soon as I'm out from under the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore. I mean even you yourself don't trust me, Professor. Wand at the ready?" Evelyn looked down at the wand in his hand, which was held tightly as though expecting the need for it, "Always have you're wand at the ready if you feel you might be attacked."

Remus instantly felt guilty, hearing his own words quoted back to him. He had not meant to appear as though he did not trust her. But how could he explain that it was habit to constantly be on guard. Ever since Sirius had passed and left him alone as the last true Marauder, he had lost that sense of security. He had lost his three best friends, one in front of his own eyes, the other sentenced to death by the third. He pocketed his wand as a sign of trust for the young girl, and turned to her as he waited for her to continue.

Evelyn smiled slightly, looking down at her hands in her lap. After a few minutes, she continued. "We're both labeled as a dark wizard or witch, evil because of _wha_t we are with no regard as to _who_ we are. I'm just Voldemort's daughter, you're just a werewolf. Both condemned for something neither of us had any control over." Evelyn let out a short bitter laugh as she struggled to hold back the tears threatening to fall. She looked back down, her long dark hair forming somewhat of a curtain that hid her face from view. "Although I have to admit, Professor, that there is a difference between us. You were lucky enough to have found friends who accepted you despite your condition. I haven't been so lucky. I've been doomed from the start, rejected for something I did not choose."

Remus frowned, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "You can't hold it against them, Evie" He started in a gentle, soft voice, "Or yourself for that matter. The people in that mob, they don't know you. They just know the image the Ministry has painted of you in that article. They have no idea what you are like. They need to have the chance to get to know you, and then-"

"And then what, Professor?" Evelyn shrugged his hand off her shoulder, turning to him angrily, "Then they'll accept me for who I am and we'll all go skipping of into the sunset together, happy as house elves? Even you have to admit that's impossible for me. They will never trust me completely and without trust, there's nothing."

"Don't think like that, Evie. All they know about you is that you are Voldemort's daughter and-" But Remus was cut off once again.

"And all I knew about you before our lessons began was that you were a werewolf. The books I've read don't say anything good about werewolves! They're entirely neutral or negative! None positive! And yet I trusted you, and gave you a chance to prove the books wrong because no one can be defined by a stereotype. I chose to have you teach me so I could come here, where Dumbledore was sure I would be accepted and then I wasn't. It's not right." Evelyn said, her frustration ringing clearly in her voice as tears streaked down her face, "You're fate is not a matter of chance or-or birth. It's made by our choices. Our actions shape our destiny. Who are they to judge me based only on something I had no control over? I did not choose Voldemort as a father."

Remus was stunned into silence, never having heard Evelyn speak so much, or so emotionally. Her eyes, which Remus had before thought to be brown, he now saw were actually a deep, rich green. Despite her words, which made her sound hopeless and defeated, he now saw a spark in her eyes. The need to prove herself had overpowered all else, and Remus chose to point this out, "You know, as defeated as you may hope to sound, all I'm hearing and seeing is that you are now more determined than ever to prove them wrong."

Evelyn looked down, smiling sadly, "Did you know? In the article, one of the people interviewed mentions that I gave them a black eye? Punched them right in the eye without any remorse. They conveniently forgot to mention it happened while I was being tortured for information about a man I never knew under the Cruciatus Curse. Little things like that, conveniently leaving out infor will always be working against me." Evelyn rubbed her eyes, trying to remove any evidence that she had been crying. "It doesn't matter though. There are other options for me."

Remus frowned at her cryptic words, observing her as she stared out across the yard yet again. The snap of a twig being stepped on alerted him to a presence behind him who turned out to be Hermione. She met Remus' glance, then looked significantly at Evelyn. Remus subtly nodded his head to tell her she was not interrupting them. Hermione took a deep breath, then sat down quickly next to Evelyn, who did not acknowledge her.

"What those…people did today. It was wrong. You've just as much a right as anyone to go to Hogwarts and if anyone gives you any problems from now on, they'll have me to deal with." Hermione said and to both girls' surprise she linked her arm with hers, smiling timidly at the girl she had spent so much effort avoiding.

Evelyn stared disbelievingly at Hermione, who took offense, "I mean it. Not only am I a prefect, which means I can give out detentions, but I also happen to know quite a few jinxes."

Before she could respond, she felt heard a soft thud and felt something roll into her back. She flinched and spun her torso around to see a red leather ball behind her, a Quaffle if she remembered correctly from her readings. She picked it up and frowned, looking for whoever had thrown it.

"Er, sorry. Throw it here?" Ron rubbed the back of his neck across the yard as he flew a few feet off the ground on his broomstick. Harry, Fred, and Ginny were all flying higher up as well, in the middle of a two on two Quidditch match.

Evelyn stood, winding up and throwing the ball with as much effort as she could. The ball sailed through the air, right into Ron's open hands. It caught him, and the others, by surprise however when Ron was knocked off his broom and fell about two feet onto the ground.

Evelyn's stomach dropped. Finally, someone had started to accept her and now she knocked someone off a broom? It's not like she had meant to do it, but still it happened. Ron sat up, his eyes wide as she stare at Evelyn in shock.

"Ron? Get up already." Fred called in an annoyed voice as her flew a little lower, "You only fell a couple feet, ya prat."

"Bloody hell, she has a good arm." Ron said, still stunned, and the whole yard erupted in laughter. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley smiled as they looked on from the kitchen window.

George made his way out to the yard from the kitchen, watching and chuckling as his twin dismounted from his broom, helping a still stunned Ron up from the ground, George was surprised when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face, well face to chest seeing as she was so short, with none other than Evelyn.

The girl looked up at him nervously, then smiled slightly, "I just wanted to say thank you…for getting me out of the crowd. That was really nice of you. So, er, thank you."

George simply stared at the short girl who was holding her arms as she tried to keep warm, then took of his zip up sweater and threw it over her shoulders, "Come on. You can't learn to play Quidditch if you're freezing your arse off. With an arm like that, you could make your House team."

Remus smiled knowingly as he watched the interaction between the two teens. He couldn't help but notice that George happened to watch Evelyn closely as he helped her learn to fly. Remus was reminded how James had looked at Lily the same way, averting his eyes anytime she looked up too, so that he wouldn't be caught.


End file.
